If Time Permits
by jane3876
Summary: AU. "Promise me…you won't forget me." She bit her lip when he pulled away, lifting one hand to cup her cheek. His handsome face was fierce when his eyes met hers. "I promise," he vowed gently. "I'll never forget you Lucy Heatifilia."As the sun began to set and the warmth faded with it, she pressed a hand to her mouth. I love you, Natsu. I will always love you.
1. ACT 1: Part I, II, & III

**If Time Permits**

ACT I_  
_

_Part I_

* * *

She could still remember the first time she had ever heard his name. Looking back, she would have never thought that one name, such a strange name, could change everything she had ever thought about her life…could change _everything_.

* * *

"…Lucy? Lucy, are you even listening?"

The blond girl looked up from the book in her lap and saw the exasperated face of her best friend Levy looking down at her. Grinning sheepishly, Lucy closed the book she had been reading.

"Sorry, Levy. What were you saying?"

Levy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, her small nose scrunching up. "You know, Lucy. I love reading just as much as you do, but it's kind of rude to do it when someone is trying to talk to you."

Lucy's smile turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Levy. It was just such a good book."

Levy's frown was smoothed away and a curious smile replaced it. "Which book was it? Have I read it before?"

"It's called _If Time Permits_. It's a beautiful love story." Lucy sighed. "But it has a sad ending."

"I think I've heard of it. I heard it was really good."

"It is," Lucy confirmed. "But anyway, what did you come here to tell me?"

Levy's face brightened a little. "Oh! I was wondering if you had met the new kid yet?"

Just as Levy's question left her lips, they heard the chime of the school bell signaling the end of free period and the beginning of class. Lucy got to her feet from her curled up position in one of the arm chairs in the library and stretched her arms over her head with a sigh. Her sizable chest strained the front of her uniform and brought the emblem of Fair Tail High into stark relief.

"New kid?" Lucy asked as she bent down to gather her bag. "I didn't know we had a new student."

"Yeah, he apparently just transferred from some high school outside of Kyoto. I've heard he's rather…strange."

Lucy frowned a little and fell into step beside her friend as they made their way to class. "Strange how?"

Levy shrugged her dainty shoulders as she brushed a piece of her bright blue hair out of her big eyes. "I'm not sure. I've only heard that you won't forget him if you ever run into him."

"What's his name anyway?"

"Natsu Dragoneel."

* * *

_Part II_

"My name is Natsu Dragoneel. It's nice to meet you all."

Lucy stared up at the front of the class with wide eyes. Since she sat in the front desk right in front of him, she had to crane her neck a little to look up at his face. The first thing she could say for certain that she noticed about him was his bright pink hair.

Pink hair? Who in the world would die their hair _pink_?

And who wears a scarf in _July?_

Beyond that, she noticed that he was actually very attractive. He had bright, warm black eyes that scanned and looked over every face in the classroom before finally settling on Lucy. When he saw her, his bright smile became even brighter if that was at all possible, making him almost ooze boyish charm. Behind her, she could hear the girls begin to giggle and whisper, 'He's so cute!' and 'I wonder if he's seeing anyone?'

Blinking, Lucy noticed that his gaze hadn't wavered from her face ever since he had spotted her and she felt her cheeks warm. It was weird, blushing in front of a boy. Lucy was not shy in the least and had blushed very few times in her life and _never_ simply because a cute boy was _looking_ at her. How strange.

She looked away, down at her desk and licked her lips as the teacher interrupted the excited whispering that had erupted. "Natsu, why don't you sit behind Lucy? If you need anything or have any questions, I'm sure she would be happy to help you. Lucy, raise your hand, please."

Jerking to attention and feeling her cheeks warm even more, she raised her hand hesitantly. She watched as his eyes connected with hers and he grinned. Striding toward her, he stopped next to her desk. Looking up at him, she had never felt so nervous in her life.

Nervous? Nervous about _what_?

"Nice to meet ya, Lucy."

_Oh._

And that was all it took to change everything.

* * *

_Part III_

"And to find the variable…"

_Squeak…Sigh…_

"You must subtract both sides by this number here and…"

_Squeak…squeak…_

"Now can anyone tell me what the answer would be?"

_Squeak…sigh…_

"Ms. Heartifilia, can you tell us the answer?"

_Squeeeeaaaak…_

Lucy whipped around in her seat, her face twisted into a mask of irritation.

"Would you stop it?!"

Silence. Horrible, awful silence.

"Ms. Heartifilia, since you seem to be a little distracted, maybe detention will help you refocus."

Turning back to face her teacher, Lucy winced and looked down at her desk, her cheeks hot with her embarrassment.

"Yes, ma'am," she murmured. Nodding, her teacher resumed her lecture. Behind her, Lucy heard a snicker.

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch but was determined not to be bothered by the pink haired menace behind her. All movement behind her paused for a moment.

_Squeeeaaak…_"Psst. Lucy."

Her grip on her pencil tightened until her knuckles turned white.

_Ignore him. He'll lose interest soon enough._

"Luuuccyy…"

She felt her shoulders tense when she felt warmth at her back and hot breath fan the nape of her neck.

"Come on, Lucy. I know you can hear me."

Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose, Lucy leaned back in her seat and turned her head so she could see the pink of his hair from the corner of her eye.

"What do you want?"

She saw a flash of white teeth.

"What are you doing during lunch today?" he whispered. She felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at his proximity.

"N-Nothing. Probably going to the library. Why?"

Natsu peeked up at the teacher to make sure she was still distracted before continuing.

"You should have lunch with me and some of the guys today."

Lucy felt her heart beat a little faster and frowned.

"Why?" she asked again. In the two weeks that Natsu had been at the school, he already had more friends than Lucy who had been there for two years. It wasn't too surprising considering no one was a stranger in Natsu's eyes. He was everyone's best friend and it annoyed Lucy to no end.

She saw him shrug from the corner of her eye before feeling his hot breath on her neck again. That was another thing that annoyed Lucy about Natsu. He had no concept of personal space.

"You seem cool…so what do you say? You want to join us?"

Seeing the teacher was turned toward the black board, Lucy turned her head as far as she could so she could look into Natsu's face. She almost gasped in surprise at how _close_ his face was to hers. Their noses brushed briefly before Lucy jerked her head back a few inches.

Natsu flashed her his bright grin that always made her blush and her heart race. Biting her lip she warred with herself. She could say no and go to the library to meet Levy like she did every day or she could say yes and maybe get to know this enigma of a boy that sat behind her every day. Sighing, she knew she didn't really have much of a choice no matter what she might think.

"Where?"

At her answer, his grin brightened and he reached up to squeeze her shoulder a little.

"Awesome! We meet on the roof. See you there."

With that, he leaned back in his seat once more, the chair protesting with a obnoxious squeak. Lucy turned back to the teacher but didn't hear anything of what she said. The symbols on the board seemed as if they were hieroglyphics with how much she could comprehend them. And the entire time, her shoulder tingled from the remnants of his touch.

Who would have thought his hands would be so…_warm_?

* * *

_(AN: Okay, now I know I should be working on Strength, but this idea was another persistent one and I felt almost empty now the Year of the Sun is completed. Yes, this is a Fairy Tail High story, but only at first. It won't remain that way. It will be told in little snippets at first for a few chapters until I get to the real plot line. I hope you enjoyed what I have so far! Please send me your feedback! Thanks for reading)_

Jane


	2. Part IV

_**If Time Permits**  
_

_Part_ _IV_

Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters

* * *

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. Natsu and Lucy were eating a rare lunch alone, just the two of them as the rest of their friends were busy cramming for a test that they had the next class. Lucy never studied because she was good in school and Natsu…well Natsu just never studied, period.

Said boy hummed in the back of his throat as he stuffed half of his hamburger into his mouth. Looking away in disgust, she looked down at her own sandwich. "Why do you always wear that scarf?"

Natsu looked at her in surprise. Managing to swallow all the food in his mouth, he grinned at her. Lifting an edge to the cloth wrapped around his throat, he ran his fingers over the material. "This? My dad gave this to me when I was born."

"Aren't you hot in it?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Sometimes, but most of the time I don't really notice."

"So why do you wear it all the time?"

He paused in the motion of bringing his soda to his lips and looked over at her. Setting it down next to him, he sighed a little. "It's a long story but basically, my dad got into some…trouble and had to leave. I wear this because…" he looked down at the scarf in his hands. "Because it reminds me of him. He left when I was ten and sometimes…sometimes I can't remember him like I used to. So when I can't hear his voice in my head or I can't remember exactly what he looks like, I look at this and…it all just comes back."

Lucy bit her lip and didn't know how to approach this sudden change in Natsu's character. The most serious she had ever seen him was whenever he fought Gray and even that isn't entirely serious. Seeing him this somber made her feel uncomfortable, like she didn't know what to do or say. He seemed to notice her unease and managed a small smile. "And it's also to hide that ugly scar I've got."

She blinked for a moment, distracted from her somber thoughts. "Scar? What scar?"

Reaching up, Natsu pulled the cloth from his neck, letting it pool into his lap. Turning his head, he bared the left side of his throat to her gaze for the first time since they'd met. "This one."

Along the column of his throat, a few inches above his shoulder, was a jagged piece of flesh about two inches long that was a few shades lighter than the rest of his tan skin, standing out in stark relief. Surprised, Lucy leaned forward to look at it closer. For the few months that Lucy had known Natsu, she had noticed just how flawless his skin was. Being a teenager, even she got break outs sometimes or had days where she was flushed and red. But she had never seen even the tiniest scratch on Natsu, not even after his fights with Gray and it had always made her jealous. And now, seeing this imperfection on his skin, it seemed so unnatural that she almost thought she was imagining it. Without thinking, she lifted her hand and skimmed her fingertips lightly along the raised skin. As soon as her skin touched his, she heard him suck in a sharp breath.

She pulled her hand back quickly and looked up at him with a small frown. "I'm sorry. Does it still hurt?"

Shaken at the feelings that her touch had brought, Natsu could only shake his head and look away.

Lucy turned her attention back at the scar for a moment before sitting back and leaving Natsu's personal space. She saw his shoulders relax once again.

"How did you get that?"

He ran a hand through his hair and blew a breath out of his lips. "I don't really remember. I've just always had it."

"You don't seem to very sensitive when talking about it. So why do you hide it?"

Once again, he only shrugged. "It stops people from asking so I don't have to explain, you know?"

Lucy nodded absently and turned back to her meal, but her mind was far from satisfied. When Natsu had been talking about his father, he had seemed so…_sad_. Where was his father? Was he some kind of criminal on the run from the police? Was…was his father the one who gave him that scar?

Shaking her thoughts away, she almost laughed at herself. Here she was, acting like she was in some novel or something, thinking that Natsu had a haunted past. And even if he did have a past, who was she to try and pry her way into it?

It would be best if she just put it from her mind. He would tell her if he wanted to.

And yet, she found herself sneaking glances at his profile as he messily ate his food and wondered…

Was there more to Natsu than the happy boy he let everyone see?

* * *

_(AN: It's a little short, I know, but expect it from now on. I might post mutilple parts in one chapter if they are really short, but since this one was longer, I thought it would do fine to stand by itself. I was going to keep it going but it ended there naturally and I didn't want to change it. Thank you to those of you that reviewed! I adore you! Thanks for reading)_

Jane


	3. Part V

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters**

If Time Permits

* * *

_Part_ _V_

"You have a…_blue_ cat?"

Lucy stared down at the little feline as it sat at her feet, giving her a similar look of distrust. With a twitch of its tail, the cat got to its feet and began to twine itself around Natsu's feet, dismissing her existance. Grinning, the pink haired boy bent down and picked the purring animal up into his arms. He ran his fingers under the cat's chin and was rewarded with its purrs increasing in volume.

"Yeah." Blinking, he looked over at his dumb founded friend. "Do you not have one?"

"No! I've never even _seen_ one up to this point. Has it…always been this way?"

"Yep. Ever since I found him four years ago."

Watching them, Lucy couldn't help but grin. Here was this strange boy with _pink_ hair with his _blue_ cat. But as she continued to watch them together, she saw how his face broke out into a smile that she had never seen before. It was gentle and warm, a different kind than the carefree smile she was used to seeing on his face. She could see on his face how much he loved his pet and from the way the cat vigorously licked his face and how loudly it purred, she could tell the feeling was mutual. Against her will, she felt something begin to rise from the pit of her stomach. Something that felt suspiciously like…jealousy?

No that couldn't be right.

Shaking her head, she stepped forward and peered closer at the cat. As if sensing her curiosity, the cat turned from rubbing his head against Natsu's cheek and looked at her dead in the eye. She almost took a step back she was so surprised at the raw intelligence in the animal's eyes as it met her gaze. She found herself unable to look away. It was almost as if he were searching her soul to see if she met his approval or not.

After a moment of tense silence, with Natsu watching the exchange with a strange smile, the cat blinked and reached its head out to sniff in Lucy's direction. Lucy held her breath and found herself feeling nervous at what would happen next.

With a full body shake and a last nuzzle to his master, the cat jumped out of Natsu's arms and sat himself at Lucy's feet. Cocking his bright blue head to the side, he meowed up at her, as if beckoning her.

Looking over at Natsu, she saw him grin and nod. She bent down on one knee and reached her hand out hesitantly. She normally wasn't very fond of cats, would actually go as far as to say she _hated_ them, but for some reason this cat, this strange, smart, _blue_ cat had caught her attention and she soon found herself with him in her arms and rubbing her cheek along the top of his head. She had apparently made a good impression on him.

"His name is Happy. Pretty apt, huh?"

Laughing, Lucy looked down at the cat in her arms. He looked back up at her for a moment before lifting a paw and beginning to groom himself, seemingly perfectly comfortable in her arms. "Yeah. I would say so."

* * *

_(AN: And we have HAPPY! I know that in the Fairy Tail High OVA, they had happy be one of the teachers, but that's unrealistic and I want this story to be as realistic as you can get with a boy with pink hair and a blue cat. Not to mention some of the other things I might throw in there later...So I hope I don't upset anyone by making Happy a more developed character but don't worry, this will not be the last you will here of him. I plan on making him a permanent fixture in the story. I know this is short and since I'm now coming up with more ideas, hopefully I'll update sooner. I hope you liked this little installment. Thank you to those of you that reviewed, I appreciate it! I adore you all!)_

Jane


	4. Part VI

If Time Permits

Part VI

_Lucy sat, staring at the paper in front of her with a furious frown. _

_Stupid paper. Stupid homework…stupid math._

_She had always hated math, have never been good at it. And it was because of this that even at the age six, she was struggling in her basic math class. And it was because of this that her mean teacher decided to give her extra work to 'help' her. As if. More like torture her! _

_Why couldn't she have had reading homework? She always liked her reading homework._

"_Lucy, just staring down at the paper isn't going to make your homework do itself, young lady," a soft voice rang from the kitchen. _

_Pouting, Lucy turned to look at her mother's back as she bustled around in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. _

"_But, Mama. I hate math. It's stupid!"_

_The older woman laughed, turning her blond head to look at her young daughter. _

"_I know, honey. But it has to be done and you know it."_

_Lucy sighed and leaned her face into the palm of her hand. "Still stupid though," she muttered._

"_I heard that," her mother's amused voice called out. _

"_Sorry, Mama," Lucy said automatically, but the impish grin on her face belied her words. Turning from the stove and wiping her hands on a dish cloth, her mother opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by the sound of the front door opening and closing and the call of a tired, deep voice. _

"_I'm home." _

_Almost immediately, Lucy's whole face lit up and she jumped to her feet. Her mother watched her go with a small tense smile. _

"_Daddy!" Lucy screamed as she raced toward her father. He winced at her volume, the headache pounding behind his eyes increasing in intensity. He smiled a little when his daughter latched onto his long leg. _

"_Hey, princess. Keep the volume down a little, would you. Daddy's got a headache."_

_Lucy blinked up at him, her bright brown eyes wide with worry. "Are you sick, Daddy?"_

_He laid a large hand on his daughter's head and couldn't help but notice just how much she looked like her mother, staring up at him with soulful brown eyes. "No, princess. Just a little tired." _

"_Lucy, sweetie. Your math homework isn't going to do itself."_

_The little girl's shoulder slumped and she stepped back from her father, a pout on her lips. She should have known her mother wouldn't have stay distracted for long._

"_Yes, Mama."_

_With that, she shuffled her feet reluctantly back to the living room and sat in front of her math workbook to work out the stupid problems again. _

_Stupid math._

_Stepping toward her husband, Layla smiled up at him and reached up to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch with a small sigh. "You look exhausted, Jude," Lucy's mother murmured. _

"_I know. My boss is running me ragged. But hopefully I'll get the promotion and everything will be okay after that."_

_Layla visible swallowed her words and instead pasted a grin on her face. "Well, you're just in time for dinner."_

_He sniffed the air and smiled a little. "Smells good. But," he whispered, leaning down to kiss his wife, catching her by surprise. "Not as good as you smell." Layla blushed and giggle, caught off guard by his affectionate gesture. _

"_Jude!"_

_Lucy watched this all from her position in the living room, a smile on her face even as the math problems mocked her. She had always thought her Mama and Daddy were so silly. Saying weird things and kissing each other. _

_Shaking her head, she turned back to her homework, her smile gone and replaced with another pout._

_Stupid math…_

* * *

Lucy jerked awake with a shout of surprise as her alarm went off right next to her ear. Groaning and squeezing her eyes shut against the light of the sun as it fell through her blinds, she slapped a hand to her alarm to shut it up.

Stupid school…

Sighing, she rolled over in bed and managed to swing her legs over the side. Running a hand down her face, she took a deep breath, the remnants of her dream…no her _memory_ still lingering in her mind.

She hadn't dreamt of such things since…since five years ago…since that horrible time.

In fact, it was strange just how clear and could remember that moment. It hadn't been a very special one. A regular day among countless in those carefree, happy days. The days before…

She shook her head and got to her feet. She didn't have time to mourn the past. She had to get ready for school.

Twenty minutes found her dressed and ready to go. Gathering her bag, Lucy made her way down the hall way into the spacious living room where she saw the two maids busily cleaning and dusting. Waving to them with a smile, she breezed her way past and into the kitchen. At her entrance, the chef turned to look at her with a smile.

"Miss Heartfilia! You look lovely this morning."

Lucy smile and shook her head. "You're such a flirt, Jack. Do you have anything for me, I'm running a bit late?"

The young chef rolled his eyes with a smile. "Aren't you always? Grab a muffin, they just came out of the oven."

With a grin, she quickly snatched up the delicious treat. Jack made the best muffins…Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she called out a farewell, leaving him shaking his head with amusement.

"That girl…she's a handful."

Just as Lucy had reached the giant mahogany doors that was the entrance to the Hearfilia estate, a familiar voice rang out and stopped her in her tracks.

"Late again, Lucy?"

Lucy froze with her hand on the handle and felt her shoulder tense, her good mood instantly soured.

"Yes. Though I don't know why you care."

Her father's voice was thick with warning. "Lucy…don't start."

Her head was high and proud but she still refused to turn and face him. "What do you want, father? I thought you would be at the office by now."

She heard him sigh. "Am I not allowed to talk to my daughter now?"

"You never cared to before. Why start now?" she snapped, her grip on the handle tightening until her knuckles turned white.

"Damn it, Lucy. I said don't start with me!" he yelled, banging his fist on the dining room table. She didn't flinch and remained stonily silent. When he continued, his voice was tight with irritation. "I was going to tell you that I am hosting a business party this weekend. I want you to get something suitable to wear to it."

She stood in silence for a moment before speaking once again. "Why would I? I'm not going."

"Lucy, you are my daughter, no matter how much you hate the idea. You have to attend. Think of how it would look if-"

"I'm sorry, but when did I ever give you the impression that I ever cared about how something would look?"

She could hear him curse softly but kept her eyes trained on the foggy glass of the front door. "We've talking about this. In a few years you're expected to take over the company, starting small, of course. But one day I will hand the company over to you."

"And I've told you countless times," she said calmly, finally turning to face him. When her eyes met his, they were burning with rage and suppressed tears. "I want absolutely nothing to do with you or your stupid company!"

With that, she whirled around and yanked the door open, letting it slam behind her, cutting off the furious sound of her father's voice as he called after her.

Pressing a hand to her mouth, she stopped in the middle of the pathway leading to the main road, her shoulder shaking.

Damn it, why did she let him get to her? It had been years since she had last cared what her father had to say. So why did it hurt so badly that he hadn't even tried to pretend to care?

Taking a deep, shaking breath, she straightened her shoulder and blinked back her tears. Crying over the way her life was now from the happiness that she could remember just five short years ago. It was time to get on with her day.

With that, a certain pink haired boy's face flashed across her mind and a small tentative smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

Yeah, she had other things to think about

* * *

.

_(AN: Well, here's another installment, more of a filler than anything, to be honest. But it's here anyway. I'm a little disappointed by how little of a response this story is getting because I really like the plan that I have for this plot line, but oh well. I guess this will be more of a way to broaden my horizons a little and it makes the responses that I AM getting all the more special. So thank you to those of you who did review, I adore you! Thanks for reading)_

Jane


	5. Part VII

_If Time Permits_

Part VII

"Natsu, no!"

The cry was called out but, due to the roar of the gathering crowd, wasn't heard.

Lucy grunted and tried to elbow her way back to the front, as the she had been shoved to the back as soon as the other students had swarmed the two boys.

The two boys that were Lucy's friends.

She cried out softly in pain when someone jabbed an elbow in her ribs, but didn't slow down her struggle. She had to get to Natsu. She had to calm him down. It was all just a big misunderstanding!

She had to get to Natsu!

It had started during lunch. It seemed that most things seemed to happen during lunch whenever it involved Natsu and, subsequently, Lucy as well. Ever since they had become friends, Lucy and Natsu were virtually inseparable. Therefore, whenever Natsu got into trouble, typically Lucy got into trouble as well for simply being there. It was a fact that Lucy had come to accept in the six months of knowing Natsu. He was simply too much excitement to not get into trouble.

In fact, he hadn't gotten into trouble the last few weeks, so it really shouldn't surprise Lucy that this fight had occurred. But what did surprise her is what had caused the fight. Her. She, Lucy Heartfilia, had caused two boys to start fighting over her. It was a strange concept to be sure.

Who it was between was especially surprising too. It was between Natsu and…Loki. Usually Natsu only fought Gray and Gajeel. Lucy was pretty certain, in fact, that Natsu only knew who Loki was because Lucy was friends with him. The boys had never talked beyond the usual greetings and situations where Lucy was the only common factor between them. So the fact that they were fighting was a little of a shock. Especially since it was over _Lucy_.

It had started when Lucy had been on her way to join Natsu and their little rag-tag group up on the roof for lunch…

* * *

"_Lucy! Lucy!"_

_Said girl looked up from the floor under her feet, startled from her thoughts and saw her friend Loki waving and starting her way. A bright smile lit her pretty features and she stopped, waiting for him to reach her._

"_Hey, Loki. What's up?"_

_The handsome playboy shrugged his shoulders and his lips lifted into a practiced, dazzling smile. "Just couldn't keep myself away, it seems."_

_Lucy couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. While boys are her school didn't necessarily flirt with her very often, more like ogled her sizable chest from afar, she wasn't exactly innocent when it came to boys such as Loki, who was known for his string of broken hearts and furious exes. Ever since she had shown up as a nervous first year, Loki had set his sights on her and had been flirting and trying to 'get' her ever since. Lucy didn't take him very seriously, she never had. After all, how stupid would she be to believe that he would settle for simply one girl? _

"_If you don't stop flirting with me, your girlfriends might get the wrong idea and think you're actually interested, Loki," Lucy warned, her eyes bright with amusement. _

_The brown haired boy stepped forward and stared down into her eyes, his face a mask of earnest sincerity, if it weren't for his mischievous brown eyes. "But Lucy, those girls mean nothing to me. You know you're my number one."_

_She shook her pointer finger up at him, trying to smother her laughter. "That playboy attitude is going to get you into trouble one day, mister. I feel sorry for the poor girl that actually believes you."_

_He placed a hand on his chest in mock insult. "You think my feelings for you are an act." He shook his head slowly, as if disappointed. "I thought you had more faith in me than that, Lucy."_

_She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, drawing his eyes just as she knew it would. "So you mean to tell me that I'm not watching you ogle my chest right now?" She shook her head when he opened his mouth to object. "You'll never change."_

_With that, she moved to get around him, but stopped when he shot out his arm in her way. Stepping back, she looked up at him, a question in her eyes. His eyes were trained on the ground at his feet, his mood suddenly somber and intent. _

"_Lucy," he spoke softly after a moment._

"_Yes?" she asked carefully. Looking up into his face, she frowned a little. "Are you feeling okay, Loki?"_

"_What if…" he seemed to debate something in his mind, before looking up at her, determination in his brown eyes. "What if I told you that I…wasn't kidding?"_

_She tilted her head a little, confusing wrinkling her brow. "What do you mean?"_

"_I mean," he whispered, stepping toward her so that their chests brushed. Lucy felt her breath catch in her lungs and her heart start hammering at his proximity and the absolute seriousness in his gaze. She had never seen him look so…sincere. "What if I really did like you? What would you do?"_

_A laugh bubbled up in her throat and escaped before she could stop it. "Seriously, Loki. This isn't funny. You could really hurt a girl with those acting skills."_

"_No, Lucy." He bit his lip, a look of uncertainty crossing his handsome features before disappearing as if it had never been. "I __**am**__ serious. I like you, Lucy Heartfilia. I always have."_

_Lucy's lips parted and her eyes widened. He was serious. She could tell by the slight blush on his cheeks and how he couldn't hold her gaze for more than a few seconds before flitting away and back again._

"_Loki," she whispered. "I…don't know what to say."_

_He caught her gaze and reached down to clasp her hands as they hung limply at her sides. "Say you'll give me a chance. I can change, I swear it."_

_She immediately shook her head, a small smile on her face. She pushed against his chest, trying to get some space between them. "Loki, no. You don't really mean that. You just…you're just attracted to me, that's all."_

"_No!" he cried, stepped forward another step and forcing her back, causing her back to brush against the wall. Her eyes flew to his in alarm at the panic she could hear in his voice. "I know how I feel about you, Lucy! I really like you."_

"_Loki," she whispered again, her eyes shifting left and right, trying to find a way to get some space between them. She could feel her heart begin to pound with nerves, her mind scrambling for a way to get out of this awkward situation she had found herself in. Sighing, she looked up at him. He didn't deserve her running away without answering him. He was her friend and he deserved to know how she felt about him. "Loki," she repeated softly. "I'm sorry but I just…I don't see you that way. I'm so sorry."_

_She bit her lip as he stilled his eyes wide as they gazed down at her. Guilt made her stomach turn and she dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry," she repeated and tried to tug her hands away from his but his grip tightened on her so she couldn't._

"_You will." Blinking up at him, she frowned._

"_What?"_

"_You just don't think I'm being serious," he said, his voice rushed and his grip on her hands tightening a fraction. "I'll show you how serious I'm being and you'll realize that we're meant to be. I promise."_

"_L-Loki," she stuttered, her mind reeling. What could she say to something like that? How could she get herself out of this situation without hurting a friendship that she valued? "I'm sorry but-"_

_She was cut off when a pair of lips pressed against hers. She gasped in surprise, her lips parting and Loki immediately plunging his tongue into her mouth. She tried to turn her mouth away but his hands came up to cage her face between his palms. She cried out when in his enthusiasm, one of his nails nicked into her cheek. _

_Lucy used her newly freed hands to push against her friend's chest, her stomach twisting into horrible knots of fear. But he was significantly bigger than her and in her panic, her arms seemed to lack their usual strength. _

_With a desperate shove, she managed to tear her mouth away and gasp for air, a sob immediately following, a sound of pure panic. "Loki, stop it!" she cried out. _

"_Just let it happen," he whispered against her lips before he swallowed her next cry of fear. Wrapping his arms around her, he trapped her arms at her sides and made her struggling ineffective. _

_Lucy was on the verge of kneeing him when she heard someone shout in anger. _

"_What the __**fuck**__?" And then Loki was gone and Lucy was free. With a sob, her knees buckled underneath her and she sank to the ground. Her eyes were wide as they took in the sight of Natsu pinning Loki against the opposite wall with his forearm pressed under Loki's chin despite the other boy's height advantage, his face twisted into a mask of pure fury as he screamed obscenities into Loki's shocked face. _

"_What the fuck do you think you're doing to Lucy, you bastard?"_

_Lucy pressed a shaking hand to her lips. She could still taste him and she felt her eyes begin to burn as her throat closed up. Struggling to breathe and trying not to cry, she somehow managed to get to her feet._

"_Natsu," she called. "Natsu, stop it." But he didn't seem to hear her, his voice loud and ringing in the halls as he continued to scream at Loki, who was beginning to get visibly angry. Pushing Natsu from him, Loki sneered at him and said something that Lucy couldn't make out over the roar of blood in her ears. _

_Whatever he said seemed to set Natsu off and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Lucy saw Natsu say something softly a second before his fist flashed out and sent Loki flying back against the wall. Loki looked at the shorter boy in shock as blood began to trickle from his busted lip before his lips twisted into a snarl and he launched himself at Natsu. _

_Just as Lucy summoned the courage to try and stop the fight, someone poked their head out of a nearby classroom and cried, "Fight!" and students began to gather and crowd the two boys._

* * *

And now that Lucy had gotten her head back onto her shoulders and managed to stop herself from trembling, she couldn't seem to get to her friends to stop the stupid fight. Loki shouldn't have forced her to kiss him, true. But that was no reason to beat the crap out of him. Simply shoving him away and yelling would have sufficed.

_Either go hard or go home,_ she could hear Natsu snicker in her mind and she scowled, irritation beginning to take place of the worry.

Stupid Natsu. Stupid Loki. Stupid _boys_.

Finally, she managed to get to the front of the group of students just in time to see Natsu fall to the ground as Loki landed a solid punch at his jaw. Immediately, Natsu was on his feet again and was about to lunge at Loki when Lucy's voice rang out.

"_That is enough!_"

Silence descended on the hall way and Lucy felt eyes bore into her from every direction. But her attention was focused on the two panting, bleeding boys in front of her. "That's enough," she repeated, softer now that it was quiet. "Please, just…stop it!"

"Lucy?" Loki asked, frowning.

"He forced himself on you, Lucy!" Natsu cried at the same time. Loki's face paled at the Natsu's words and he turned his panicked eyes to Lucy.

"Lucy, I would ne-"

She held up a hand to hold off Loki's adamant defense. Sighing, she smiled a tad bit sadly at him. "I know that Loki. You were just…caught in the moment. I understand." She then turned to Natsu. "And I understand why you're upset, it looked very bad."

Natsu frowned, his hands dropping at his sides, his eyes intent. "Do you mean…you wanted him to kiss you?"

"No!" she cried immediately. "It was just…" Just then, she remembered their audience and looked around, blushing at the attention directed at the three of them. "Let's talk about this somewhere else."

Both boys nodded and followed her and Lucy made her way through the crowd as it parted to allow her passage. When they were a sufficient distance away, she turned back to the two boys.

"I won't tell you all that happened, Natsu. But just know that Loki wouldn't do something to hurt me anymore than you would."

"Exactly, I-" Once again, Lucy held up a hand to ward of Loki's words.

"But, I heard you. You told him to stop and he didn't!" Natsu insisted. Lucy smiled at him softly.

"I know and at the time, I was a little worried but," she chanced a look at Loki's contrite face. "But it was a mistake and that is that. That's all it was. A mistake."

Natsu searched her face and Lucy met his gaze head on, her chin tilted and her shoulders straight. Whatever he was looking for seemed to reassure him because his shoulders relaxed and he nodded.

"If you say so." But he turned to look at Loki one last time, his eyes narrowing. "But I'm keeping my eye on you. Touch Lucy again and I'll beat you until not even your mother will recognize you."

Lucy sighed and closed her eyes on a moment of frustration. Natsu could be so over protective sometimes. But he cared and that touched her. It wasn't often that someone would openly care for her like Natsu did. And he wasn't a stranger to affection. It had taken her several weeks to get used to his casual touches and close proximity, thinking that he was hitting on her. But watching him with everyone else, she realized that was just how he was. He was affectionate and protective of all his friends. They were his world and he let everyone know it.

Smiling softly at him, Lucy reached forward to skim her fingertips on a nasty looking cut above Natsu's eyebrow.

He turned his attention to her at her touch and smiled at her, albeit a little hesitantly. Scanning her over, he asked, "Are you sure you're okay, Lucy?"

Her smile widened and she nodded. "I'm fine. You need to get yourself to the nurse's office. And don't think that this is an excuse to skip the rest of school. I've seen worse injuries when you're playing with Gray."

He managed to look affronted. "I am not _playing_ with Gray. I'm beating the shit out of him!"

She rolled her eyes, her smile firmly in place. "Yeah, yeah. Tell it to your pride."

During the playful banter, Loki looked on with a mixture of pain and jealousy. It was easy to tell just from the casual way they handled each other that they were close. Closer than he and Lucy had ever been. Lucy by nature was a kind girl and she wasn't discriminating about who she cared for. But she had never looked at him the way she was looking at Natsu. As if he was everything. With that bright light behind her eyes that only came from true understanding and affection. And though he hated to admit it, Loki realized he hadn't stood a chance with Lucy the second she had seen Natsu's bright pink hair.

* * *

_(AN: I know it's been a long time since I updated, but school's been rough. One more month, I'm on the home stretch! So hopefully that will meanmore updates in the future. Now, I do not in any way hate Loki, in fact I enjoy his flirting with Lucy and I wished Natsu cared more in the series, but I'm sure we all would. And I don't think that Loki would actually do something like this, I just used him as an excuse to get our favorite characters closer together. I hope you liked it! Thank you to all of you that reviewed, you are the reason I haven't given up. I adore you all!)_

Jane


	6. Part VIII

If Time Permits

_Part VIII_

It was weird the first time she noticed it. To be honest, it really shouldn't have surprised her; she had seen it a million times before in their months as friends. But this time…this time it was _different_.

Had his smile always looked that…beautiful?

Shaking her head, Lucy couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from that smile, the sight of it making her heart pound and heat creep up her cheeks. She watched as the waning sunlight slanting through the window made his hair burn with pink flame and made the carefree flash of teeth all that much more breath taking. She loved the way his eyes sparkled with warmth, the way they seemed to truly _see_ her.

Had it always been this way?

"Lucy? Yo, Earth to Lucy!"

She blinked to clear her mind and felt the heat of her cheeks increase in intensity as she realized she had been gazing at her friend for the last several seconds. Looking away, she coughed to cover to embarrassment and fiddled with blanket in her lap.

_Geez, how lame Lucy. Could to you be any creepier?_

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Natsu asked, cocking his head to the side in concern. Chancing a look at him, she blushed even harder at just how _cute_ he looked and had to look away again.

"Yeah." Damn was her voice really shaking that badly? She coughed again. "I'm fine. Just peachy." Peachy? Really?

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, raising one hand to press against her forehead.

Natsu searched her face, clearly not believing her blatant lie, but in a rare moment of tact, didn't comment on it. Instead, he turned back to the television in front of them, putting her strangeness from his mind. After all, it wasn't the first time that Lucy had acted strange. She was weird all the time. He had gotten used to it a long time ago.

Lucy looked down at her hands as they plucked at the threads of blanket in her lap, mentally berating herself. Just what the hell had gotten into her anyway? Since when did she think anything about Natsu was _beautiful_? The entire idea made her want to laugh. Nothing about Natsu was beautiful. Sure he was warm and inviting and alluring but-

Wait, _alluring?_

Seriously, was she sick or something?

Frowning, she pressed the back of her head against her forehead to check for a fever. Her skin was very flushed and warm but it didn't feel like a fever. But why else would she think such-

_Did it ever occur to you that you might __**like **__him?_

Whoa! Where did that thought come from?

Like Natsu? _Her_, like _Natsu_? The idea was ludicrous. And yet…

She chanced a look over at him from the corner of her eye just in time to catch him mid laugh, his mouth open and his eyes dancing with amusement. Her heart stuttered and the breath left her lungs.

_Holy crap._

She liked him. She totally liked Natsu.

_Holy freakin' crap!_

With a groan she put her head in her hands, bringing up her knees to cover her face and curling in on herself. Beside her, Natsu looked at her strangely before turning back to the television but not without shooting her looks every few seconds. Of course, the distraught girl never noticed any of this, so upset was she at her sudden realization.

_When did I start liking him? _

_Does it really matter?_ A voice whispered in her mind. _What matters is that you do. _

Oh God, what was she going to do now? How could she possible look in him the eye, knowing that she liked him? How would she be able to act normally around him like she used to?

It was simple. She couldn't. There was no way she could look at him now and ignore the way her heart sped up. There was no way she would be able ignore the way she wanted to touch him, feel him next to her at all times.

What the hell did she do now?

She jumped when she felt a warm hand on her back, her head jerking up as her wide eyes fell on Natsu's concerned face.

"Hey, Lucy. Are you okay?" he asked. She bit her lip as she tried to ignore the way the heat of his hand seeped through the material of her shirt and warmed her skin.

"I'm fine," she squeaked and winced. His frown intensified.

"Are you sure? You don't look so good. You're all flushed." Her heart skipped a beat when she felt him touch her forehead with the back of his hand, much as she herself had done earlier. But this didn't feel like a simple, friendly touch. No, this felt…_hot_. "You're warm," he murmured, his eyes darkening with emotion. "Are you getting sick?"

Seizing the opportunity, Lucy jerked her head in a nod. "I must be," she said quickly, leaning back away from his touch and getting to her feet, immediately missing the warmth of him. "Maybe I should head to bed early."

He searched her face for a moment, his eyes surprisingly solemn. She held her breath as she waited for his reaction. Finally, he seemed to make a decision and got to his feet with a nod.

"Okay," he said, bending down to grab his backpack where he had tossed it when they had gotten to her house after school. She sighed with relief and ignored that small part of her that felt…disappointed. Following him to the door, she shifted nervously as he turned to face her once again, a frown pinching his mouth. "Make sure you get some sleep. I can't afford to have my favorite weirdo sick!" He said this last part coupled with a bright, dazzling grin and Lucy cursed how breathless she felt at the sight of it.

_Damn him!_

"I'll be fine," she reassured him with a careless wave of her hand. She was eager to see him gone so she could sort through her sudden and frightening revelations. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He gave her another bright smile and nodded. She almost fainted when he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his muscled chest. Her face erupted into a raging blush and she squeaked in surprise. She felt his chest rumble underneath her cheek as he laughed at her. With one last strong squeeze, he released her and opened the door, waving behind his shoulder as he jogged down the driveway. She watched him go with amazement. How was it possible that one hug, something that Natsu did _all the time_ could suddenly unravel her so thoroughly?

_It's not fair! Stupid boys and their stupid beautiful smiles!_

* * *

_(AN: I know it's been a little while and this might be a little rushed, but I had to get it our before I crashed tonight. I hope I kept them both in character since this is the first time I've written something like this where Lucy actually realizes her feelings. I'm more the type where I have Natsu do all the moves first and make her realize her feelings kind of thing. But I think this is more fun. I hope its good but be warned I have not edited it, so I'm sorry for any mistakes that I might have in it. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to all of you that reviewed! I adore you all! Thanks for reading)_

_Jane_


	7. Part IX

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters**  
_

_If Time Permits_

Part IX

* * *

_Dammit, this is why I hate Christmas shopping!_

Lucy cursed as she elbowed past yet another rude woman, fighting her way to the register, her prize clutched desperately against her chest. Fifteen minutes and two more bouts of frustration later, Lucy was back out in the cold fresh air.

Though she had never been much a Christmas person, especially ever since her mother's death, this year had been different. With her new friends and her newly discovered feelings for her best friend, she had decided to change her habits. She had gotten most of her friends taken care of weeks ago, except for Natsu. It was surprisingly difficult to think of what to give the pink haired boy.

Since they had become friends six months ago, she had come to know him almost as well as she knew herself. He was refreshingly honest and open and she had always admired that about him. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions or affections, was by nature a warm and loving person. He was also immature, easily excited and prone to bouts of thick-headedness. It was because of who he was that Lucy had come to like him as much as she did.

But it was also because of who he was that he was _impossible_ to shop for. Natsu was a very simple boy. He didn't need extravagant things that Lucy herself was surrounded by day by day. In him world, all he needed was his friend and loved ones and he was as happy as could be. Throw in a couple fights and you would have a very content teenage boy on your hands. But, unfortunately, none of those things were something that Lucy could wrap and give to him on Christmas day.

Thankfully, after weeks of searching store after store in their small town, Lucy had finally come across the perfect gift. Grinning down at the bag in her hand despite the hit her bank account had taken, she strolled down the street with a decided skip in her step. Now all she had to do was wrap it and wait for Christmas to give it to him. The thought of the excitement she hoped to see on his face when he unwrapped it was almost enough to make her dance in place. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited about Christmas. But then again, Natsu had brought light to her life where there had only been dull pain.

Lucy only hoped that she could one day muster up the courage to tell him just how much he meant to her.

* * *

This was it.

Lucy took a bracing breath and took one last cursory look around her living room to make sure everything was perfect.

They had decided to have the celebration at Lucy's house due to the fact that most of them either lived in very small apartments with their parents or, like Natsu, lived with distant relatives after being orphaned. While Lucy's wealth had always made her uncomfortable when compared to her friends, they had insisted and she had finally given in.

Her father was out on business, as he usually was this time of year and had not bothered to offer an objection to her plans. He had stopped caring about her comings and goings ever since their fight a few months ago. While a majority of Lucy was relieved that he had finally left her alone, the small part of her that still held onto the memory of her father before her mother's death was hurt. Now that he realized that she wouldn't be following his steps in the business, she no longer warranted his attention.

She was counting the days until she graduated and could leave the house that echoed in emptiness and pain.

Lucy was shaken from her morose thoughts at the sound of enthusiastic knocking and the raised voices. Grinning, the blond opened the door in time to witness Natsu launch himself at Gray and send them both tumbling to the well-manicured lawn. Rolling her eyes, Lucy instead turned to Levy's sheepish grin.

"Hey, guys. Come in," Lucy said, stepping aside. Levy and Loki walked by, their mouths open as they took in their surroundings. Meanwhile, Lucy turned her attention to the two wrestling boys. "You have two seconds to get inside before I lock you out."

Natsu cursed and threw Gray off of him and got to his feet. Pouting, he turned to the waiting blond. "He started it," he offered weakly. Lucy simply shook her head, a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Are you coming inside or do I have to give your presents to someone else?"

Natsu's face brightened. "Presents? Sweet!" With that, he ran past her and into the house, leaving Gray and Lucy looking after him. "Come on, slow pokes! I'm not waiting for you to open my present!" Natsu called back to them.

The two friends exchanged a look before following the pink haired boy at a slower pace.

Levy and Loki had already settled on the couch, Levy a noticeable distance from the brown haired player while they watched Natsu pounce on the presents under the tree.

"Natsu, wait until I hand them out!" Lucy reprimanded, pushing him aside with her hip as she grabbed the first present. He pouted but did as she said and settled cross legged on the floor a few feet away, his eyes never leaving her.

Once the presents were passed out, Gray looking uncomfortable while muttering, 'But I didn't get you anything', Lucy gave the signal to open them. She watched with a smile as her friends exclaimed over what they got and offered their thanks, but her attention was more focused on the surprisingly subdued pink haired boy next to her as he stared at his present that sat unwrapped in his hands.

After much debate and searching, Lucy had finally found someone she had thought he would enjoy. It was a beautiful marble statue, one foot long, depicting a beautiful, snarling dragon. The craftsmanship was remarkable in the lines and curves of the creature, not a detail having been spared. The scales of the dragon rippled along its skin and the muscles bunched in his crouched position. Its teeth were flashed in a spectacular snarl, but what was most capturing about it was the bright red eyes that glared out in stark relief, seeming to flicker and swirl with life.

The second Lucy had seen it she had immediately thought of all the dragon sketches as she found in Natsu's room and seen him drawing during class. For a boy so energetic it had surprised her when she had found out he drew and _well_. But what he seemed most obsessed with was dragons. When Lucy had found it at the crafts store, she had known that this was the perfect present for her friend.

But now, as she watched his look it over, his face unreadable, she second guessed her choice.

"Natsu?" she asked softly so as to go unnoticed by their chatting friends. "Do you not like it?"

For a moment, he simply continued to stare at the statue in his hands before his head lifted and his eyes met hers. She was caught off guard by the emotion on those dark eyes. It was an emotion she had never seen on his face before and it took her breath away even though she wasn't entirely sure she could put a name to it.

She got the second shock of the day when he set the statue to the side and got to his knees and yanked her against his chest with surprising force. She squeaked from the force of it even as her arms automatically went around him in return. She felt him bury his face in her neck and heard his ragged breathing. "I…I don't know what to say, Luce," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. She closed her eyes and pressed her face against his shoulder, simply enjoying the feel of his familiar warmth and the tingle it sent through her whole body.

"Do-Do you like it?" she asked hesitantly. She felt him pull back from her and she reluctantly let him. His eyes were misty when they met hers and his smile was the most beautiful she had ever seen.

"I _love_ it."

She felt her heart squeeze and felt a blush heat her cheeks. He was so _beautiful_ in that one moment that she felt herself teeter on the edge a moment before her stomach dropped with her fall.

She _loved_ this boy. She loved him with everything she was. And surprisingly, this fall, this wonderful, unexpected fall didn't scare her. In fact, now that the anxiety of the wait was over, she was strangely calm. She loved Natsu. It was a fact and there was no way she could pretend otherwise.

A trembling smile found its way onto her face as she leaned against him one last time, unable to resisted the urge to feel his warmth, warmth that she craved to her very soul.

"I'm glad."

* * *

_(AN: Well, that was a little longer than usual! I was initially going to do a part in Natsu's perspective, but then I decided to do something a little Christmas inspired instead. I know things are going a little fast, but for the first part of this story, it is going to have time skips before getting to main part of the story, which will take place years in the future. This part it to set up the stage for the following parts so if it seems like things are going fast, that it the whole point. Don't worry, it will slow down later. Well, I hope that you enjoyed this installment, I enjoyed writing it! Thank you to those of you that reviewed, I loved hearing from you. I adore you all!)_

Jane


	8. Part X, XI, & XII

**If Time Permits**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters!**

* * *

Part X

_So…this is it_, Lucy mussed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was strange, really. She had always anticipated this moment with giddiness, had always dreamed of looking at herself in the mirror and seeing a woman instead of a girl looking back at her.

But all she saw was herself. There was no drastic change into maturity. Just her usual blond hair and brown eyes. She wasn't astoundingly beautiful or enlightened.

It was really anti-climactic to tell the truth.

With a sigh, Lucy turned from her reflection and left the bathroom. As she made her way to the front door of her home, she suddenly felt empty.

She was graduating today. She was officially done with high school. And yet there was none of the happiness, none of the impatience she had thought she would feel. Only listlessness.

_What now? _

That was the one thought that kept circling through her mind. What did she do now? She had applied to college at Tokyo University, but only as an obligation to her father. Secretly, she had also sent an application to a college in America. If there was anything Lucy knew for certain, it was that she didn't want to stay anywhere near her father. And if she had her way, in a few weeks, she would board a plane to America and never return.

Even now, a single white envelope burned a hole in her uniform pocket with a postage stamp from Los Angelas, California that could make or break her. She had received it in the mail a month ago but had stopped herself from opening it. She had promised herself that when she graduated, after she had her diploma in her hand, she would open it and find out her future.

Shaking the envelope from her mind, she smoothed a hand down the front of her uniform and rested a hand on the doorknob to her front door, but paused. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the staff as they went about their duties, most of them having already wished her luck earlier that morning. But it was what she _didn't_ hear that caught her attention. There was no soft rustling of a newspaper at the dining table. There was no deep muttering as her father grumbled about the stock market or some news report that upset him. It was just Lucy and the staff in the big house that echoed in its emptiness.

Her father had left for an urgent business meeting in Brazil a week before and wasn't expected to arrive back for at least another few days. Just in time to miss his daughter's high school graduation.

Lucy's hand tightened on the door knob until her knuckles turned white.

_Who cares? _she thought savagely. _It's not like he would have come anyway._

Bitterly, she ignored how her eyes stung and how the disappointment was almost too much to swallow. It didn't matter how much she tried to tell herself she didn't care that her father barely acknowledged her existence, she still felt her heart break every time she was faced with his indifference. And it was times like these that she missed her mother just as fiercely as she had since her death. If her mother was still alive…

_Stop it, Lucy_, she told herself firmly, bringing up her free hand to scrub at her flushed face. _Today is a happy day. Now get happy, damn it. And besides, today is the day you're going to tell Natsu how you feel. It's now or never._

With that thought and a new sense of determination, she pushed the door open and began to make her way to her high school for the last time.

* * *

Part XI

"Lucy!"

Lucy turned at the sound of her name and scanned the crowd for the familiar head of blue hair. Finally, she caught a flash of it a moment before Levy's small body barreled into her. The breath left her lungs but Lucy managed to wrap her arms around her friend in return.

"We did it!" Levy cried, jumping up and down in Lucy's arms. "We made it!"

Lucy gave a breathless laugh and squeezed her friend, affection tying a hard knot in her throat. Even now, the envelope that would decide her future lay unopened in her pocket. What if she did get into UCLA? Would she ever see her dear friend again?

Levy seemed to sense her friend's less than enthusiastic response and pulled back with a small frown. She looked up at the taller girl. "What's wrong, Lucy? Aren't you happy?"

Lucy nodded with a small smile. "Of course I am. It's just…" She felt her eyes burn and had to look away. Instead of explaining, Lucy silently reached into her uniform pocket and handed Levy the letter. Levy looked down at the letter in confusion and then back at Lucy.

"What is this?" When Lucy didn't respond, only looked away, she scanned the envelope more carefully. Seeing where the postage was from, her eyes widened and she looked up at her friend in surprise. "You applied to a school in America? Did you get in?"

Lucy shrugged, taking a deep breath and running a hand down her face. "I don't know. I haven't opened it yet."

A bright grin broke out on Levy's face. "Then open it!" With that, she shoved the envelope into Lucy's numb hands firmly. When Lucy looked hesitant, she nodded reassuringly.

Lucy hooked a thumb nail into the fold of the envelope and took a deep breath before tearing it open. Pulling the crisp white letter from its cradle, Lucy paused, fear a bitter taste on her tongue. This letter would decide her entire future. It would dictate where she would get educated, where she would live, what she could make of her life. Could she live with the answer that would greet her?

"Lucy." The blond girl looked up and saw Levy's soft smile. Her friend reached forward and grasped Lucy's free hand. "No matter what, I'm here for you."

A trembling smile found itself onto Lucy's face and she nodded. Looking down at the letter in her head once more, she decided to get it over with and unfolded it, quickly scanning the first few words. Her brown eyes widened and her lips parted as she let out a gust of air, her whole body seeming to fold in on itself.

"I got in," she whispered breathlessly. Raising her eyes, she caught her best friend's gaze, tears starting to gather at the corner of her eyes. "I got in," she cried. Levy squealed and rushed forward to wrap Lucy into another tight hug. The girls hugged and squealed in excitement for a few moments before the squeals turned into tears. Clinging to each other, they couldn't keep the enormity of the changes that were going to come from their minds. Lucy was moving thousands of miles away to another country. They would no longer be able to see each other when they wanted, might not even be able to call each other when they wanted. For all they knew, this could be the last time they ever saw each other again.

"You're going to be great," Levy whispered, her voice shaky and weak. Her small arms were strong as they clutched desperately at Lucy. "I'm going to miss you like crazy."

Lucy was the first to pull back and wiped a hand under her brown eyes. "This doesn't mean goodbye, silly," she said, sniffing. "I still have a few months before I have to go to America. We'll just have to make sure we spend as much time together as we can. Besides," she reached down and grabbed Levy's hand, clasping it tightly in her own. "We're best friends for life, right?"

Levy laughed a little, blinking her tears back. "You bet," she confirmed.

"Yo, Lucy, Levy!" Both girls looked away from each other in time to see the rest of their friends approaching, all grins and enthusiasm. Wrapping an arm around Levy's shoulders, Lucy gave her friend a small squeeze.

"Come on guys," she said finally when they had all gathered. "I think it's time to celebrate!"

A resounding cheer was her answer.

* * *

Part XII

Two hours and a crazy celebration later, Lucy stood at her doorway and watched her friends as they said their goodbyes and headed home. She couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Though she was sure her maids were going to have a fit with the state of the living room after one of Gray and Natsu's fights and the yard after the boys decided to play football in the front yard, she didn't regret a single minute of it. It was weird to think that she might never see her friends again.

_Stop thinking about it Lucy. Just enjoy the time you do have_.

Nodding her head, Lucy closed the door behind her and faced the only person that was left. From the comfort of her over stuffed couch, Natsu smiled at her a little. The sight of that smile made her own grin slip slightly. It seemed every time Lucy saw Natsu, he had been acting strange. His smiles weren't as genuine as they usually were, not as bright. Even his fight with Gray had seemed half-hearted. There was definitely something that was bothering Natsu, and Lucy couldn't imagine what it was. She would have thought that he would ecstatic about graduating as he had always hated going to class. But if anything, he seemed…sad.

Plopping next to him, Lucy sighed.

"Alright, Natsu. What's wrong?" she asked after a beat of silence.

Natsu seemed to start a little before looking away, his lips turning down a little. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

Lucy scooted closer and tugged on a wayward lock of pink hair to get him to look at her. Catching his eyes with hers, she raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Natsu. It's me you're talking to. You can tell me the truth. What's wrong?"

He sighed and his face seemed to be cast into shadow as he gazed at her. She felt her heart squeeze at the _sadness_ she saw in his eyes. She had never seen him look so vulnerable before and it left a strange taste in her mouth.

She didn't like it, not one bit.

"Natsu?" she asked hesitantly, reaching forward and clasping on of his hands. He looked down at their joined hands, curling his larger fingers over hers and seemed to be in deep thought. She waited patiently for him to speak

"I don't…I don't know how to tell you," he whispered finally. She frowned and scooted closer until her knee brushed his.

"Just tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me," she said gently.

He seemed to war with himself before his shoulders slumped. Lifting his eyes to meet her, she was alarmed to see that they were dull and listless. "I'm leaving, Lucy," he murmured finally.

She blinked a little, her frown deepening. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

He swallowed but kept his eyes on hers. "I'm leaving…to find my dad."

Lucy felt her heart plummet. He was leaving? It was strange, really, just how much that seemed to upset her. What right did she have to be so upset when she was doing the exact same thing? His intentions were noble, he was going to find the father he hadn't seen for eight years, a father he loved more than life. So why did she feel like he was betraying her?

_Because you know once he leaves...you'll never see him again._

She had to look away, afraid of what he might see on her face. "Oh?" She was amazed that her voice didn't tremble. "That's great. When are you leaving?"

"Lucy," he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. She managed to look back at him. "Please, don't."

She pressed her lips into a thin line to keep them from trembling. "What? I'm just-" She stopped when he squeezed her hand.

"Please, don't look at me like that," he whispered brokenly. Lucy felt her eyes burn and blinked rapidly to keep her tears at bay.

"Like what?" she whispered.

"Like I'm leaving you."

She stiffened, her eyes widening. Was that what she thought? That he was leaving her?

_Isn't he?_

She shook her head and savagely pulled her hand away from his, getting to her feet. She turned her back on him and wrapped her arms around herself, as if to hold the war of emotions contained inside of her. "Well, isn't that what you're doing?" she asked shakily. Oh god, her chest hurt! It burned like she had swallowed hot coals. She felt her arms began to tremble and dug her nails into the flesh of her upper arms.

She heard his clothing rustle as he got to his feet. The heat in her chest turned fiery as she felt his warmth at her back and his hot hands on her shoulders.

"I have to, Luce," he whispered. Lucy bit her lip savagely.

_Lucy, you selfish, selfish girl. How dare you get mad at him. You're such a __hypocrite._

She shook her head.

_I can't pretend this is okay,_ she thought numbly. _Because it's not. It's **not** okay._

"No. No you don't, Natsu." Her shoulders seemed to slump and she finally turned to face him. The sight of his beloved face was almost her undoing but she managed to keep it together by sheer will alone. "But I'm not going to stop you," she whispered finally. Lifting one cold hand, she laid her fingertips on his cheek and drank in the sight of him, as if to commit him to memory. God, she would miss him so much. Her fingers fell away to fall at her side. "I'm not going to stop you anymore than you would stop me. Just...promise me something."

Natsu sighed and wrapped his arms around her to pull her against his chest. She almost cried out in agony at the ache that welled up in her chest at the familiar feel of him, of his warmth.

"Anything."

"Promise me…you won't forget me. I-I know it's selfish but-" She bit her lip when he pulled away, lifting one hand to cup her cheek. His handsome face was fierce when his eyes met hers.

"I promise," he vowed gently. "I'll _never_ forget you Lucy Heatifilia."

She managed a wobbling smile and nodded, leaning against him for one more moment before pulling back completely. All too soon, they stood facing each other at her front door. The sun behind him framed his form and set his pink hair aflame. His eyes were solemn as they traced her features as if to commit them to memory.

"I'll see you later," she said, finally.

He managed a smile and nodded. "Later," he promised.

She watched him walk away until he was nothing but a dot on the horizon. As the sun began to set and the warmth faded with it, she pressed a hand to her mouth. Her lips quivered and the tears finally began to fall. She felt her knees buckle under her weight and couldn't stifle the sobs that tore out of her.

_I love you, Natsu. I will always love you._

* * *

_(AN: Okay, so I'm sorry for the mistakes that were in this, but I posted it without reading it as it was very late at night. I also apologize for those of you that thought this was another chapter but I accidently deleted the one from last night so I had to repost it. On other news, so that concludes the first section, **this is not the end, I promise**! Now it is time for the REAL plot line and it's going to be juicy! I can't wait to get started. Thank you to those of you that reviewed and have supported me thus far! I adore you all!)_

_Jane_


	9. ACT 2: Chapter One

**If Time Permits**

ACT 2

Chapter One

* * *

_Ten Years Later_

"_This is your Captain speaking. We are about five minutes away from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan and will begin our final decent. Please remain seated until told otherwise. Thank you for flying with us."_

Lucy Heartifilia sighed and shifted in her seat with a grimace. The morning sun spilled through the open window visor and slanted across her face. Her large brown eyes were blood shot and exhausted; her lips bloodless and dry. Running a hand through her shoulder-length blond locks, she couldn't keep her stomach from rolling into a tight knot. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she turned from the sight of the bustling Tokyo that her window seat granted her and sought a distraction. Almost absently, her hand reached up to the hollow of her throat where a single ruby hung, suspended by a thin silver chain. Her mother's necklace that had been left to her soon after her untimely death.

Ten years…It was amazing to think that she hadn't stepped foot inside of this city ever since she had left at the ripe age of eighteen, her eyes bright with hope for the future. And now she returned to it, ten years wiser and her eyes shadowed with knowledge beyond her twenty eight years. Lucy's lips twitched into a bittersweet smile at the thought of all the hopes she had had for her future when she had left for the big world across the sea.

How naïve she had been.

Lucy's life after high school had been nothing like what she had thought it would be. It hadn't been horrible by any means, simply…difficult.

But if there was one thing she could say for sure, it was that she didn't regret a minute of it.

And she had never thought she would return to the city she had grown up in, and certainly not under the conditions that warranted her visit.

Simply thinking about the conditions of her return made her lips twist into a look of distaste and bitterness.

"_It's your father, Lu-chan. He was sick for a very long time and…and he passed away last night."_

Her father…

The man that had helped raise her. The man that hadn't been able to look at her in the eye after her mother's death because of the resemblance. The man that hadn't spoken a single word to her in the ten years since her departure. The man that Lucy had _thought_ she hated.

But things had changed, _Lucy_ had changed and she now found herself at a loss as to what to do, say or think.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

Lucy's head snapped around at the polite inquiry and saw that most of the other passengers had left the grounded plane. With a forced smile, Lucy got to her feet and reached up for her carryon with a small apology. All too soon she found herself in the middle of the busy Tokyo airport, a luggage in one hand and her other clasped around her necklace while her eyes scanned the crowd for a familiar face.

"Oi," a gruff voice called behind her.

Lucy whirled on a heel and her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. Over a head taller than the most of the crowd, his bright red eyes and untamable black locks standing out like a beacon, stood Gajeel. Considering it had been around ten years since she had last seen him, Lucy was amazed to see that he had changed very little. His hair wasn't as long as it had been in high school and his eyes held a softness that hadn't been there before. Above all else, on his left hand, a wide silver band spoke of all the changes in the last ten years.

A bright smile came across Lucy's lips and she felt her shoulders relax at the sight of a familiar face.

"Gajeel!" Without warning and against her better judgment, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist for a moment. He seemed a little surprised, but laid a brief hand on the top of her hand before she pulled away.

"Hey, Bunny Girl," he greeted gruffly, ignoring the face she made at the nickname. "How have you been?"

Her smile dimmed a little. "I've been better." She looked around for a bright blue head. "Where's your wife?"

His smile became more genuine at the mention of her and he reached down for the handle of her suitcase. "She's waiting in the car. Didn't want her walking around with the tiny shrimp about ready to pop."

At the mention of Levy's pregnancy, Lucy's eyes lit up once more as she followed the taller man toward the exit. "When is she due?"

"In a few days. But you would never know it with the way she keeps busy. She won't listen to me to take it easy."

Lucy watched as a transformation came over the intimidating man's face as he talked about his wife. His red eyes softened and a gentle smile pulled at his lips. It was amazing to see him in love when Lucy could still remember how he had been only ten years ago, angry and pieced.

"Well, you know Levy. I doubt she'll ever slow down," Lucy said, fondly. Gajeel grunted in agreement and they walked in comfortable silence.

Just as they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Lucy turned her head at a feminine squeal of delight just in time to see Levy barreling toward her, belly and all.

"Lu-chan! You're here!" Levy cried. Lucy immediately intercepted her friend and wrapped her up in a gentle hug, holding her as close as her protruding belly would allow.

"Levy," Lucy whispered, her arms tightening a fraction as she felt her eyes begin to burn. "I missed you so much."

Levy buried her face in Lucy's shoulder and began sniffling. "I missed you too, like crazy."

Gajeel stood by the two crying women with a scowl, looking pointedly away. With the way they were acting, it was like they hadn't expected to ever see each other again.

_Women_.

Lucy finally pulled away, wiping a hand under her eyes to get rid of the evidence of her tears and grinned down at the blue haired woman, or more importantly, her belly.

"You've gotten so big," she exclaimd, reaching down to place a hand on the surface. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

Levy smiled back, sending Gajeel a proud smile. "No, we wanted it to be a surprise."

Gajeel snorted, walking forward to stand at his wife's side. "No, _we_ didn't. _You_ did."

Levy rolled her eyes with a smile. "Whatever. It's not like the gender will matter. You'll love her no matter what."

"Of course it won't matter, because _he_ will be exactly like me," he boasted with a smug smile.

"That's just what we need. Another Gajeel running around. I'll never get any sleep!"

Lucy watched them banter with a soft smile. It was easy to see just how much they loved each other. Even as they argued, Levy leaned against his side and Gajeel had a protective arm around her waist. As she watched them, she felt something bubble up against her will, something that she had become familiar over the years. Jealousy. Unbidden, the image of a pink haired boy with a beautiful smile came to mind and she cursed herself for even bringing him up, even after all these years.

_How long until you finally realize that he's gone, Lucy? Twenty years, thirty? Until you're old and gray and alone?_

Shaking her head, Lucy forced a smile onto her face when she saw Levy peering at her with thinly veiled concern.

"Are you alright, Lu-chan?"

The blond waved her concern away. "Yes, of course. Just got lost in thought is all."

Levy shared a knowing look with her husband, both looking unconvinced, but they let it drop. Turning to Lucy with a bright gin, Levy wrapped an arm around her friend's waist. "Well, let's get you settled then. Are you sure that you won't stay with us? It would be so much more comfortable and less expensive than a hotel."

"No, you guys are expecting a baby any day, I wouldn't dare impose on you like that." When Levy looked like she would begin objecting once more, Lucy held up a hand to stave off her words. "Besides I'm not sure how long I'm going to be staying to get everything settled with my father's estate."

At the mention of her father, Lucy's face became shadowed and her voice became quieter. Levy watched her friend struggle with a frown. Even after all these years, Lucy still seemed to be unable to come to terms with her and her father's less-than-stellar relationship. But Levy had heard the grief in her voice as she had delivered the news of her father's death, how she had sounded on the verge of tears and it had broken Levy's heart that she had been unable to comfort her. But, she thought with determination, she would make sure that her friend didn't go through this alone. Even if she gave birth tomorrow, she would make sure she was there for her friend in her time of need.

What Lucy needed to realize was that she wasn't alone anymore. She had friends that still cared about her even after all these years, Levy and Gajeel notwithstanding. Their friends from high school were ecstatic at the news that the blond of their old group would be returning, even under the somber circumstances. They were determined to be the support group that Lucy would need, even if she never asked for it.

_You're not alone in this, Lucy_, Levy thought. _We're not going to leave you like your father did or like…We'll be there for you. No matter what. I promise._

* * *

_(AN: And here we go! I'm actually really excited about this next part of the story. I'm still debating over small issues with the plot line, but I have the general outline and I really hope you guys are ready for it to get angsty because that is the one thing that I'm going to have in abundance. But don't worry, this will still be a NaLu story, no matter what. If you guys have any ideas or suggestions you want to shoot my way, please do. The more feedback I get, the smoother I can make the story flow. I hope you liked this installment and thank you to those of you that have supported me thus far! I adore you all!)_

_Jane_


	10. Chapter 2

**If Time Permits**

Act 2

_Chapter Two_

* * *

Lucy sighed as the door shut behind her, raking her tired eyes over the room. As far as hotels went at last minute, this one wasn't too bad, she mused. The carpet looked clean enough, the bed neatly made. She leaned over to peek into the bathroom to her right and was relieved to see it looked clean as well.

Her shoulders slumped with fatigue and the hand on her suitcase handle loosened, letting it land with a muffled thump on the carpeted floor by the door. Her brown eyes switched from the appealing sight of the queen sized bed to the open bathroom, or more importantly, the claw foot bathtub that was invited her for a soak.

_A bath. I definitely need a bath first_, she decided.

Her feet felt like lead as she trudged her way into the bathroom, sluggishly shucking her clothes as she went, leaving a trail in her wake. Her tired muscles screamed in protest as she crouched next to the bath tub to turn on the water. She really hated flying. Being cooped up in the metal bird for hours always made her muscles cramp up and it took her days to get over the jet lag. That's why she usually kept her vacations as close to her home as she could.

But she hadn't come here for a vacation this time.

While she waited for the tub to fill with warm water, she walked over to her discarded purse and grabbed it. Digging her hand into the belly of it, she managed to locate her old outdated cellphone and flip it open. She grimaced when the screen lit up.

Three missed calls. All from Dan.

She bit her lip, her eyes trained on his name while she warred with herself. Did she dare call him back and most likely start a fight in the process or should she wait until after she had had a good meal and a decent night's rest?

Sighing, she already knew the answer. Dan would be nearly frantic with worry if she waited to call him back so she might as well get it done while she had the energy. Punching a few numbers into the phone, she cradled it between her right ear and shoulder while she gingerly stepped into the warm water, sinking up to just below her shoulders, she gave a grateful sigh.

The sound of electronic ringing filled her ear while she settled back and closed her eyes. Not even two rings in, a frantic voice answered.

"Honey, is that you?"

Against her knowledge, at the sound of his voice, her lips lifted into a strained smile.

"Hey, Dan. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner."

"Are you alright? Did something happen? It's been two hours since your plane landed!" he cried, his tone losing his frantic edge and hedging toward a whine.

She sighed and struggled not to grimace. "I'm fine. I just lost track of time. I'm sorry I worried you."

There was a moment of silence before his voice came again, serious and more than a little concerned. "Are you really alright? You sound tired."

Her face smoothed out at the apology she could hear in his voice. In all the years she had known Dan Straight, she had come to terms with his rapid mood swings. He could be a social butterfly one minute and a total antisocial jerk the next. Since they had met in college, Lucy had thought she had known every part of his personality. Until they had started dating. Then she had come to know the clingy, needy side to him.

But it was moments like these, when he acted his age with a maturity that was fleeting, that Lucy knew how much she had come to care for him over the years.

Her eyes softened and her smile became genuine. "I'm alright. Just really tired."

"Are you sure? Because if you need me to, I can be down there in a few hours."

She chuckled and sank a little further into the water, affection blooming warmly in her chest. Sometimes…sometimes, Lucy could really see herself falling in love with this man. "Don't do that, Dan. You're in the middle of shooting a movie. You can't afford to leave the set and you know it. The director would have your head."

"Fuck him," he replied immediately causing her smile to widen though he couldn't see it. "If my angle needs me, he can go to hell!" She laughed a little more genuinely at the sincerity in his voice. There was a moment of comfortable silence on the line before he broke it again. "I love you," he whispered.

As usual, his declaration made her chest feel tight and she had to swallow a lump in her throat. It didn't matter how charming, or handsome or _amazing_ Dan was, Lucy just couldn't make herself say the words back. She wasn't sure if it was her fear of being vulnerable or if it was because of a certain pink haired boy, but she knew that if she said those words that she could taste on the back of her tongue, they wouldn't be true. Not entirely. So instead she whispered, "I miss you." She was surprised at how true it was. She _did_ miss him. She missed his bright brown eyes, his mischievous grin, his arms around her…

He chuckled deeply in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine and making her stomach twist into familiar knots. If there was one thing she could say about her and Dan's relationship, it was that it was passionate. Lucy might not be able to make herself love him, but she certainly didn't have any problem being attracted to him, that much was sure. "Do you now? How much?" he purred.

"Bunches," she breathed, grinning.

His voice turned a little more serious. "I miss you too, angle. Like crazy. When are you coming home?"

She sighed, her mood cooling like the bath water around her and she frowned a little. "I'm not sure. I don't know what my father got done before…before. But I'm meeting with his lawyer tomorrow morning so I'll have a better idea then."

On the other line, there was a shout and the sound of something crashing and Dan cursed. "I've got to go, angle. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you."

Lucy sighed when the line cut and closed her phone, setting it on top of the toilet next to her.

_Oh how I wish I could love you Dan,_ she thought dismally, sliding in the water until her entire head was submerged, keeping her eyes tightly closed. _It should be so easy and yet…and yet I can't forget **him**._

* * *

_(AN: That's right. I used Dan Straight! I'm not entirely sure why I did, since he doesn't exist in the manga and is only in a few episodes, but I just loved how cute he was the whole time and that he could be serious when the situation called for it. Plus, he was a convenient male character that I didn't already have paired with someone else that I could manipulate. I will be keeping him a little OOC because I'm not going to have him be a flirt with every woman that catches his fancy. But he will have his time of drama, don't worry. I'm sorry this wasn't very long, but I'm trying to keep the flow natural without forcing too much. I hope you liked it, and thank you to those of you that reviewed. I adore you all!)_

_Jane_


	11. Chapter 3

**If Time Permits**

_Chapter Three_

**Disclaimer**: Don't own fairy tail and co.

* * *

_A hacking, chest rattling cough cut through the heavy silence of the darkened room. The sound was gut wrenching in the way it reverberated through the room and caused all those within hearing distance to wince in sympathy and shift uncomfortably. _

_As the coughing faded into the sounds of heavy, wheezy breathing, Lucy stepped forward, her young face solemn and her eyes looking older than her thirteen years. Slowly she approached the bedside, as if afraid that any sudden movements might send the occupant into another coughing fit. _

"_Mama," Lucy murmured, sinking wearily into the chair to her mother's left, her eyes staying on her mother's pained features instead of the outline of her now emaciated body. _

_At her soft call, her mother stirred, her eyelashes fluttering open, revealing her dark brown eyes. Lucy bit her lip as her mother's bloodless lips twitched up into a ghost of a smile, her pale features gaunt with illness and distant pain. _

"_Lucy," she rasped, the blankets moving at her side until her small, porcelain hand emerged and fluttered weakly toward her. Lucy reached up and clasped her mother's hand gently in her own, swallowing a jolt of fear at just how __**cold **__her hand was, how __**fragile**__. "How are you, sweetie? You're not giving your father too hard a time, are you?"_

_At the mention of her father, Lucy's face darkened and she scowled, looking away from her mother's gentle gaze. Her grip on her mother's hand tightened a fraction. "Not like he would notice," she muttered insolently. "He's hardly even home anymore. I haven't seen him in days."_

"_Don't be hard on him, dear," her mother whispered, her smile gentle. "He's just dealing with this the only way he knows how."_

"_By ignoring us?" Lucy cried, her eyes swinging to her mother's face. Anger made her eyes darken and her eyebrows slam together. "He hasn't even come by to see you in weeks! What kind of husband-"_

"_Lucy." She stopped at the reprimand in her mother's weak voice. "Stop it. He loves us, and you know it. He's just…lost."_

_Lucy's lips trembled and she fought against the bitter sting of tears in her eyes. "Mama…How can you be so calm about…about __**everything**__?"_

_Her mother closed her eyes briefly before opening them once more, her gaze resigned and content at the same time. "Sometimes, Lucy, we face changes in our life that we have no control over. We have the choice to either fight the changes in our lives or to accept them and enjoy the moments that arise as much we can. While the moments of sadness seem to be difficult even impossible to get past…it is the moments of happiness that make those sad moments bearable. You and your father are my world, Lucy. Why should I spend my last moments being angry or bitter when I can spend it with you two and being happy?"_

_Lucy stifled a sob as she pressed her mother's hand against her cheek. Against her will, tears broke through the barrier of her lashes and slid down her flushed cheeks. "Mama," she whispered brokenly. "Mama, I love you so much!" _

_**Please don't leave me!**_

_She wanted to scream it, to yell and fight until her mother got better. But she knew it would be useless and a waste of time. She had figured that out after she had learned of her mother's fatal condition. _

_**What will I do without you, Mama? How will I go on?**_

_Her mother smiled softly, a sad angle to it, turning her hand in her daughter's grasp to cup Lucy's cheek, her thumb wiping away her tears. "I love you too, sweetie. And I always will. You're braver than you think you are. Just remember that I will be with you. Always."_

* * *

Lucy took a deep breath, her hand on the strap to her purse tightening until her knuckles turned white. Before her, looming almost ominously, stood the office building of her father's lawyer. It bore over her like a threatening giant and she found herself swallowing a lump in her throat.

What exactly was it that she was nervous about anyway?

Was it because the woman that she was to meet, this Mirajane Drayer, was the last connection she had to her father? Was it because she was afraid of the state of his life that he might have left behind for her? Or was it because she knew almost nothing about settling the estate of an almost business tycoon?

All Lucy knew was that she had never been so intimidated by a building before in her life and it took almost all her strength to make her feet move toward the glass doors.

_Get a hold of yourself! _She thought viciously, her lips turning down in a frown. _You have dealt with countless lawyers before, so why would this one be any different?_

Because it _was_ different. This time she wasn't negotiating with the lawyer of one of her clients, this time she was consulting a lawyer for herself. She had never truly liked the lawyers she had been forced to interact with and the thought of dealing with another one made her already dark mood become even worse.

But it wasn't something she could avoid. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could return to Dan and her life in America.

Twenty minutes and a very confusing trip through a maze of corridors later, Lucy found herself seated in a very quiet, very clean waiting room. She sat at the very edge of her chair, her knees pressed tightly together and her hands folded in a tangled mess in her lap. Her brown eyes slowly scanned the room, falling briefly on the bright, joyful face of the receptionist, who flashed her a brief smile, before flitting away again. She was just about to get up and start pacing when she heard the sound of a door opening and a feminine voice call out.

"Miss Heartphilia?"

Lucy looked up and caught the gaze of a pair of stunning blue eyes. The woman stood a polite distance from Lucy's chair, her eyes never leaving Lucy's own, her beautiful face set into a look of polite inquiry. Getting to her feet, Lucy offered the woman a strained smile.

"Yes, that's me."

The shorter woman took a step forward, offering her a cleanly manicured hand. "I'm Mirajane Drayer, your father's lawyer. I'm sorry to meet you under these circumstances."

Shaking the woman's hand, Lucy was surprised at the strength behind her grip, nodding absently. Mirajane turned on her heel, gesturing with one hand for Lucy to follow as they made their way into a nearby room.

They settled in their respective places, Lucy in a high backed chair much like the ones in the waiting room and Mirajane behind her desk, before Mirajane cut into the silence gently.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your father, Miss Hearphilia. He was a wonderful man."

Lucy nodded, her smile strained. "Please, call me Lucy. How long did you know my father?"

Mirajane's smile was flawless. "Then I must insist you call me Mira. I've known your father ever since I've been out of law school. He and my father were business partners."

"Ah," Lucy nodded. "I see. So…" she trailed off awkwardly, her eyes falling to her hands in her lap. "What exactly do I have to do to settle my fathers…affairs?"

Another wave of a dainty hand. "Oh, nothing much. Most of the legal aspects have already been taken care of. The reason I've called you here is to give you something your father left to you in his will."

Lucy's head snapped up, her brown eyes wide. "Will? My father had a will?"

"Oh, yes. He had one even before he became my client; since your mother's death, I believe. It's customary for businessmen like your father to have such wills so their estates are taken care of in the case of their deaths."

Lucy nodded and watched as Mira reached behind her desk for something. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of what lay in Mira's hands and felt her breath leave her lungs. She chanced a look up at the other woman's face, her eyes dark with longing. When Mira nodded, she reached forward with trembling hands to grasp it.

"My mother's jewelry box," Lucy murmured, her eyes roaming lovingly over the gleaming wood. She brushed her fingertips over the symbols engraved at the very top. _Layla Heartphilia_. "I thought he threw it out with the rest of my mother's things when she passed away."

Clutching the box to her chest, Lucy felt her eyes burn as she caught the faint scent of her mother's perfume that still lingered in the wood.

_Mama…_

Blinking her eyes to clear them of the tears, she caught sight of Mira's tender smile. "Is this all?"Her voice was husky with suppressed emotion. She wasn't sure just how much longer she could keep her composure in front of this stranger.

"Just one more thing. A letter." She offered Lucy a manila envelope with her name scrawled neatly at the top in her father's handwriting. Reaching forward hesitantly, Lucy stared at it for a moment.

Her father's last words to her…She wondered if they would even be _kind_ words. She had left her father without a word ten years ago, hadn't called or even inquired to see how he was doing since. If it hadn't been for Levy, it was likely she never would have known he had died. What kind of daughter was she? Could she really blame him if his last words were ones of condemnation and anger? Would she ever be able to feel anything but bitter regret and guilt when thinking of her father? Would she ever be able to look back on the moments when they had been a family before her mother died without being haunted by the sad years that followed?

She tucked the envelope into her purse, her jaw set. Now wasn't the time to read it. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle it at the moment with her emotions as confusing and fragile as they were. When she was ready…then she would read it...but only then.

* * *

_(AN: Wow, I'm so sorry for this crappy chapter. I really don't know why this chapter was such a struggle to get through, but I finally did it. Classes are starting to get a little stressful so I'm sorry for the erratic updates, but I promise I haven't given up on this or Strength! Thank you to those of you that reviewed, I adore you all!)_

Jane


	12. Chapter 4

If Time Permits

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.**

_Chapter Four_

* * *

"Lucy, you can't just hole yourself up for the rest of your stay here," Levy's voice cried into Lucy's ear and she winced, shifting to sit down on the bed her hotel had provided her. "You've been here four days and I haven't seen you but once!"

Lucy sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt guilty for the annoyance that surfaced at Levy's complaint, but she couldn't help it. Ever since she had seen her father's lawyer the second day of her stay, she had been unable to make herself leave her hotel room and had been avoiding Levy's calls. She tried to tell herself it was because she needed time to come to terms with her father's death, but she knew that wasn't the truth, not entirely. Even now, the letter and her mother's jewelry box sat on the dresser, untouched since the day she had gotten them. Every time she thought about either looking over her mother's box or reading her father's last words to her, her heart would clench and her legs would go weak. It seemed she still wasn't ready. But the majority of the reason for her isolation from her best friend was her completely irrational fear that, the second she left the safety of her hotel room, she would be assaulted by sights and smells that would remind her of her previous life there and, subsequently, _him_.

But she knew that she wouldn't be able to get away with avoiding Levy forever. Her best friend was nothing if not persistent and it seemed she had reached the end of her patience with Lucy's stubbornness.

"I know, Levy. And I'm sorry, but-" Lucy tried, her voice weak, but Levy cut her off. There was a hard edge to her voice that made Lucy stiffen and come to attention, anxiety turning her stomach. It wasn't often that Levy used that tone, especially with Lucy, but when she did, she meant _business_.

"No buts Lucy. We _are_ going out tonight and you _will not_ fight me on this. I'll be there in half an hour and you better be dressed and ready to go or I'll drag you out by your blond hair. No arguments."

With that, she hung up and left Lucy to stare at the phone in her hand, her lips twisted into a grimace. She felt her stomach churn unpleasantly and pressed a hand to it, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared sightlessly at the wall in front of her. God, how pathetic could she possibly get? Avoiding her best friend who she hadn't seen in _years_ just because she was worried that something could _possibly, maybe_ remind her of _him_? She was a grown woman for heaven's sake!

_How long am I going to bury my head in the sand and pretend that I'm okay? Until I drive Levy away or Dave? Until I'm alone and old, still stuck in a past that I can't bring back? _

With a surge of determination, Lucy got to her feet to get dressed, her movements quick and sure. The chances of running into _him_ were nearly impossible and it was past time for her to grow up and _move on_. She had a wonderful man that loved her, a successful career and was surrounded by friends that loved her. Her attachment to her past was unhealthy at best and maybe it was her return to her hometown that would finally drive home that fact that her history was just that, _history_ and she wasn't doing those that loved her or herself any favors by continued to live in the past.

"I've got this," she whispered to herself as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She saw her double settle her shoulders and angle her chin proudly and smiled. She was a grown woman who was not afraid of the memory of a boy who she had loved in times past. It was long time that she took control of her life again and she would move on if it killed her.

* * *

_Oh God. Oh God. Oh God._

The mantra repeated endlessly in her mind as Lucy stared out the driver's side window of Levy's car. Her limbs felt frozen in place as she took in the looming building in front of her. Her stomach tightened painfully and her lungs couldn't seem to take in enough air.

_Oh God. Oh God._

"Lucy? Are you okay?"

She snapped to attention at the sound of Levy's voice. Turning to her friend, she managed a wan smile, hiding her shaking hands by unbuckling her seat belt and climbing from behind the wheel, as Levy was far too pregnant to be driving. Coming to a stop next to her friend, she wiped her damp palms on the cotton of her slacks.

"Yeah," she said, her eyes still on the building in front of her. "Just a little nervous." She looked over at Levy, her eyes wide with trepidation. "Do you think they'll be happy to see me?"

Levy studied her best friend's face carefully. She knew that Lucy regretted the way she had left all those years ago, without telling any of their friends, but there seemed to be more to her anxiety than that. After all, no matter how angry their friends might have been at Lucy's sudden departure, they wouldn't have held it over her head all those years, let alone shown up just to rub it in and Lucy knew that. Therefore, Lucy must have been worried about something else entirely. The way her eyes darted from one spot to another and her inability to stand still for more than a few seconds, she seemed to be looking for something, something she feared…_oh_.

Understanding made Levy grimace. Lucy was worried about running into _him_. Forcing a bright smile, Levy linked her arms with Lucy's and tugged her forward.

"Don't worry. They'll be _thrilled_ to see you again."

Lucy took a deep breath, but didn't bother trying to put off the inevitable. She _needed_ this.

Levy led her to one of the private rooms in the restaurant that she had reserved. It worried Levy how scared Lucy was to be faced with Natsu again, but at the same time, she had seen Lucy after he had left. She had been devastated. Levy hadn't understood, if Lucy loved him as much as she seemed to, _why_ she didn't stop him from leaving. When she had asked Lucy that question years later, when his name had come up, Lucy had seemed resigned.

"_It's __**because**__ I love him that I let him go. He needed to go find his father and it would have been selfish of me to ask him not to. We would have both regretted it later. It's better this way, even if it does still hurt."_

Was Lucy still in love with him, even after all this time?

She snapped to attention when she felt Lucy stiffen next to her and saw they had arrived in front of the door. Lucy stared at it like it would reach out and bite her, her shoulders tense and Levy smiled. She pat Lucy hand and grinned up at her.

"Come on. They're your friends, you'll be fine. I promise."

And with that, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

* * *

_(AN: Wow, I'm SO sorry about how long it took me to get this out. All I can say to explain the delay is that college sucks. And I'm also sorry about the length and cliff hanger, but I figured you deserved something rather than waiting for me to finish the chapter the way i had initially intended, which would have made it much longer. I'll try to make the next one totally worth it to make up for it. On another note, I wanted to tell those of you that have read my other story Year of the Son, that I am starting to plan and slowly pull together Haru's own story! I'm really excited about it, but I'm not going to post any of it until I progress or finish this and Strength more. I hope you enjoyed this installment and thank you to those of you that took the time to review! I adore you all!)_

Jane


	13. Chapter 5

_If Time Permits_

Act II

Chapter Five

* * *

The moment the door opened, Lucy caught the sound of boisterous laughter and almost froze. Her eyes darted around and she felt her shoulders tense even more. Next to her, Levy gripped her hand and gently, but firmly, tugged her in. As they made their way in, the first person they caught sight of was Gajeel and Levy immediately steered that way.

He was talking rather adamantly with someone who Lucy couldn't make out as his back was facing her. But once she heard the familiar lazy drawl and recognized the stock of black hair that hadn't changed in ten years, she relaxed enough to smile a little. It was strange how little time had changed Gray. He was a little taller, a little broader in the shoulders and his frame seemed to have bulked a little. But from what Lucy could see, he hadn't changed as much as she had expected.

Gajeel paused in what he was saying when he caught sight of the two women over Gray's shoulder, beckoning them with a jerk of his head. Seeing his attention was caught, Gray turned toward them and when he caught sight of Lucy, his eyes lit up and the left side of his mouth kicked up into a familiar smirk.

"Lucy," he called, striding forward to sweep her into his arms. A tad bit surprised at the sign of affection, Lucy paused before returning his hug and burying her face in his shoulder with a smile.

"Gray. It's great to see you." She was only a little surprised by just how much she meant it. Besides Levy, Gray was one of the few people she had kept in close contact after she had left. It had started out as emails ever few weeks, just to check up until five years ago when Gray had flown to the States on business and they had met up for lunch. Sitting and talking over food had reminded them of just how well they had gotten along in high school and had brought them closer together. Gray was the one Lucy called when she couldn't reach Levy and she needed advice on boys or a conflict at work. Lucy was the one that Gray called when he had girl troubles or he needed a sympathetic ear for his famous rants. It had been five years since they had last really seen each other and Lucy felt her shoulders finally relax for the first time since she had returned at the feel of Gray's calm influence.

He pulled back to look down at her, his dark eyes racking her over. "You look great, Bambi. The States really agree with you."

She smiled wryly and shook her head, her brown eyes dark. "Liar," she murmured, pushing his shoulder gently. "I look awful and you know it."

Gray's small smile fell and he rubbed his large palms along her arms, his eyes intent on hers. "How are you doing?" he asked gently.

Lucy looked away and shrugged, shifting on her feet, her hand coming up to twist the delicate chain of her necklace. "As good as can be expected, I guess. It just seems kind of…surreal, you know?"

She looked up to see the understanding in his eyes. "Well I'm here if you need me. Anytime."

She smiled and leaned her forehead against his for a moment, closing her eyes and allowing herself the comfort of leaning on someone else for the first time in far too long. "I know."

Pulling back, she opened her mouth to say something, change the subject to lighter things, when she felt two muscular arms wrap around her waist and hoist her into the air, just as a familiar voice cried, "Lucy, my love. You have returned to me!"

She squeaked and flailed a little in his grasp. Gray stepped back with a chuckle and simply watched, thoroughly entertained. She glared a little at him in reproach, but he simply raised an amused eyebrow. "Loke, put me down!" When she finally got her feet on the ground again, she breathed a sigh of relief. And then promptly turned on her heel and smacked her old friend in the chest. Hard. "You scared the crap out of me, you jerk!"

Loke grinned and placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, how I have missed the sound of you yelling at me. Like music to my ears." She narrowed her eyes at him and fought a smile. His grin grew in response. "It's great to see you, Lucy. It hasn't been the same since you left."

She rolled her eyes and let herself smile a little. "I doubt that somehow. I bet you're still leaving a string of broken hearts in your wake."

Loke's smile turned into something soft and tender. "Actually, no. I'm a taken man now. No more flings for this man."

Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little. "You're married? Since when?" She shot a look at Gray to confirm and he nodded with a little shrug, as if to say 'It surprised me too'.

Loke laughed at her. "Yep. Going on five years now. I met her in college and fell in love the second I saw her. Of course she couldn't stand my guts, but I wore her down after a while."

Lucy paused at the love she could hear coloring his voice and almost sighed. It wasn't often that she heard people talking about their spouses the way he was, with such adoration. She was used to bland tones and bitter words. It was a welcome change of pace, for sure, and she felt her smile turning soft.

Jokingly, she smacked him again in the chest, a little softer. "You jerk. Why didn't you invite me to your wedding?"

Loke seemed to be embarrassed as he rubbed his chest and didn't make a move to answer her. Gray clapped a hand on his shoulder and grinned a little. "That's because he got hitched. Only sent out announcements to all the loved ones after the fact."

She rolled her eyes. That, no matter how much time had passed, didn't surprise her one bit.

"Well what about you?" Loke interjected, determined to change the topic and focused on Lucy. Next to him, Gray tensed a little and shot her a look. She sent him a minute smile, allowing him to relax. Only he and Levy really knew of just how deeply her feelings of Natsu had, and sometimes _still_ did, ran. He had spent many a night with her on the phone, questioning her decision to be with Dan and lamenting her inability to truly get over her first love.

"_Listen, Bambi. It's not going to be easy. You never truly got closure from Natsu, and that's why you can't really get over him. But from what you tell me, this guy is a good guy. I think you should give him a chance. You of all people deserve to be happy and I really think you could be with him. Just give it a chance, see where it takes you. What do you have to lose?"_

Smiling over the memory, she turned to Loke. "I'm not married, but I am dating a wonderful man, named Dan. We've been together about four years now."

Loke seemed to read something in her face and his smile fell a little. "Are you happy? Truly happy?" he asked softly. Gray seemed intent upon her answer as well, and didn't take his eyes off her face as she shifted and looked away, thoughtful.

Was she happy? Truly and completely happy? Dan made her happy when they were together, she did know that, when they weren't fighting. She loved her job and her clients…well most of them. She loved her life in America and wouldn't trade it for the world. But did that make her happy?

She sighed and her shoulders slumped a little. "I think I could be, to be honest."

He smiled at her as if he knew something that she didn't and reached down to squeeze her hand at her side. "You will be. I know it."

Her smile was genuine and full of affection. But instead of expressing the gratitude the filled her chest and tightened her throat for the two men in front of her and their acceptance, she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Idiot. How can I possibly have even a moment of peace with you two as my friends?"

* * *

_(AN: I know you probably hate me, with how long it has been since I updated anything. All I can say is college is kicking my ass. But it's summer break and my summer class doesn't start for a few more weeks, so I'll try to devote all my free time to getting back into the swing of things. The reason to the length of this chapter is more of a way to feel my way back into writing this story. Hopefully, it isn't too awful, but I know it isn't my best work. I also wanted to address a few things in this story. _

_**One**, this **will** be a NaLu story, in one form or another._

_** Two**, Gray and Lucy's relationship is kind of like sister/brother. He doesn't have any romantic interest in her. I thought about it but, with Dan, there will be plenty of drama as is._

_** Three**, the time line of Lucy's life in America is she arrived at eighteen, went to college for four years for her undergrad, then spent two years in graduate school getting her masters. I know it can take longer, but for plot purposes, it will remain two years. As soon as she graduated, she met Dan and they have been dating since. _

_**And finally,** I know I never mentioned it before and I think I had the idea of just sneaking it in, but I'll just say it here. Lucy works in Public Relations. Kind of like an agent or liasion between clients and her company, which i will not specify. I never really went into depth of her job because it wasn't really part of the plot. And yes, it is how she met Dan, who is a rising actor. _

_That is all. I hope you guys aren't too pissed at me and I want you to know, I love you now matter what and your patients means the world to me. Thank you and I adore you all!_)

Jane


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